I used these saws to cut just the right inlet and outlet holes in the back of a new vanity and it worked really well . Some reviewers complain that they broke the guide attachment in the middle of the hole saw, but that's what it is: a "guide". Pre-drilling a 1/4 inch diameter hole in the center of your circle will not put any stress on the pilot drill and will only keep the hole centered. That's what it's for. Another reason to pre-drill the center hole is that you can be very precise when drilling the hole as the round hole shell will hide the pilot drill and you can easily miss a 1/2 inch urging you to drill. big holes leaving a gap around your pipes (sloppy workmanship).